1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of computer peripherals and in particular, to systems and methods for dynamically customizing peripherals such as printers to support languages.
2. Description of Related Art
Computer peripherals, such as printers, typically have an operator panel or a console, which can be used to display messages and accept input from users. The peripherals may be configured to support one or more languages natively during manufacturing. Typically, the languages supported are those spoken by people in major markets where the printer is sold. For example, a printer may be configured to support English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese natively. A user operating a printer with native support for the above languages may be presented with a menu that enables selection of one of the above languages when the printer is booted up. Menus and messages displayed on the operator control panel or console will then be shown in the selected language.
However, if the peripheral above is to be sold in a new market where the languages used are not currently supported by the peripheral, then some form of reconfiguration may be performed to permit the peripheral to support the additional languages. For instance, in the example above, if entry into the new market (Japan) is facilitated by support for Japanese in a printer, then installation of Japanese may be undertaken for the printers sold in Japan. In many instances, the reconfiguration may require the services of a field engineer, which may delay printer deployment and also increase sales costs. In addition, delay in providing native support may prevent quick customer adoption of the printer in the new market. Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods that facilitate the dynamic customization of peripherals, including printers, to support additional languages in a manner that is transparent to users.